Wadi Climbing

A New Way to Experience Palestine

By Dani Dobrot | May 28, 2019

What do you think of when you hear about Palestine? Do you think about the violence you see on television, or the now 71-year conflict between Palestine and Israel? Is this a place you ever think about visiting? How about rock climbing there? As many know, Palestine has a story riddled with conflict and oppression. Generations of Palestinians, to the tune of 2.7 million people today, live in the West Bank. This area is fraught with limited resources, over-regulation, and restriction of human freedom; but it is also home to a rich history, culinary delicacies, and most recently, abundant climbing opportunities. The West Bank currently boasts of a bouldering gym in Ramallah and over 200 outdoor climbing routes at 10 different crags. There are routes for both the climbing fiend and curious newcomer. Through an interview with Tim Bruns, co-founder of Wadi Climbing, and Tyler Myers, general manager, this article tells the story of how a team of climbers is engaging Palestinians to try a new sport and inviting foreign climbers to step out of their comfort zone and into a world often misunderstood.

In 2012, while studying in Jordan, Tim Bruns and Will Harris, co-founders of Wadi Climbing, visited Palestine for the first time. Not only were they shocked by the political climate, but also they were also inspired. The West Bank is home to many limestone cliffs that are appealing to any climber with an eye for new climbing route potential. During this initial visit, Tim and Will recognized the growing market for physical recreation in Ramallah but also the staggering lack of outdoor recreational options. This gap motivated these entrepreneurs from Colorado to conduct market research concerning the possibility for developing climbing in the West Bank. Based on these results, in 2014, they went “all in” and moved to Palestine to initiate a rock climbing community.

Initially, Wadi Climbing started as an outdoor guiding company. This required coordination from local leaders. According to Tim and Tyler, “In the very beginning, when we first started bolting the cliffs in Ein Qiniya, we were very careful to sit with the local village councils and explain who we were and what we were doing. We brought gear and climbing photos to help explain. The village councils were often either indifferent or enthusiastic, and we have signed memorandums of understanding with a number of them.” After receiving permission, the team began establishing routes at various locations and were surprised by the natural talent and interest from the local community: “The very first day that we arrived in Ein Qiniya to bolt routes, the local bedouin boys showed up because they thought we were digging for gold or hunting eagle eggs. We explained what we were doing and invited them to try. The first guy put a harness on, tied in on top-rope, and climbed a 5.10c in Crocs no problem. Needless to say, we were psyched. They have since become integral members of the climbing community, competent lead climbers and good friends!”

The growth of this community continued with Palestine’s first bouldering gym located in Ramallah and opened to the public in 2016. The gym currently has 20 consistent members that climb both indoors and outdoors. Climbing presents a physical outlet by which Palestinians can explore and enjoy the nature they are surrounded by. “Climbing is still a relatively new and little-known sport in Palestine, but it has provided a new recreational activity that not only gets people out of the city on the weekends and into the beautiful nature of Palestine, but also provides an alternative form of exercise for Palestinians who are bored with typical gyms and fitness centers.”

Although climbing offers new hope for both community and recreation, the political situation in Palestine is challenging. Because of the Israeli occupation, not only can it be very difficult to ship rock climbing gear into the West Bank, but also Israeli customs may likely heavily tax or confiscate the gear. Currently, the team circumvents this by asking friends to bring gear during visits. Other limitations include restricted movement for residents of the West Bank into and around Israel as well as the potential for aggression from violent right-wing Israeli settlers or the Israel Defense Forces. For Palestinians, rock climbing can represent an emotional and physical escape from their daily reality under occupation, and even with these challenges, the climbing community and opportunities continue to grow.

With this continued development, Tim and Tyler envision Palestinians taking ownership of the Palestinian climbing scene. This vision of leadership includes Palestinians as the primary climbing guides, route developers, and potentially, even internationally-known competitive climbers. The ultimate goal is for Wadi Climbing to be Palestinian owned and led.

With over 200 bolted routes, Palestine is an up and coming tourist-climbing destination. However, only through visiting and experiencing this amazing culture of people can the true story of Palestine be known. Currently, Tim and a group of international climbers are writing Climbing Palestine, the first guidebook to rock climbing in the West Bank. The group ran a successful crowdfunding campaign in March to raise money for publishing, and the book is expected to be available in stores and on Amazon by the end of 2019. Ultimately, it is time to hear the full story of Palestine, as expressed in their own words, and climbing is a creative avenue to experience this alongside its storytellers. According to Tim and Tyler,

The story that the world hears about Palestine is myopic even when the storytellers are well-informed and well-intentioned. The West Bank of the international media comes across as a place rife with colonialism, settlers, religious fanatics, disenfranchisement and apartheid. All of this is true, but it sells Palestinians and Palestine short. There is much more to this rich, complex place. We hope that the impending Climbing Palestine guidebook will encourage people to visit and explore Palestine through the medium of rock climbing. We hope that this perspective can help humanize this wonderful place and the people that live here.

Please visit Wadi Climbing’s website http://www.wadiclimbing.com/ to learn more, and check out the soon to be released climbing guidebook https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/climbing-palestine-guidebook#/ to plan your next international climbing trip.

This article was originally posted on Medium: https://medium.com/@daniellealise/wadi-climbing-a-new-way-to-experience-palestine-d4201b28c5c8